A new mind is a bit like an early embryo – neither male nor female, but capable at the flick of a chemical switch into settling on one option or the other.

Before we have any political beliefs, dogma, doctrine – call it what you will – we’re pretty much the same. And then at a very early age a little fleck of belief lands on that mind-seed and sticks. It can float down from parents, books, friends, media – but the bit that sticks will likely have one of two flavours.

If it’s the flavour that says “You’re a person, just like everybody else. Respect them, support them, for it could be you” you’re a Type A.

If it says “We’re all individuals, and though we need to support each other, the best way of doing that is by getting out of the way and letting people make their own choices” you’re a Type B.

These are not fixed types, of course. Many flip between them several times over their lives. Some of us do it many times a day. Because both propositions are flawlessly logical. Of course there’s a natural justice which means we should think and act at a level greater than the individual. So the Type As are right, and create state and society in that light. Of course there’s irrefutable evidence that creating the machinery to do so causes waste and can even keep people worse off. So the Type Bs are right and head off down the path of cutting and liberating.

But being human, and liking a little clarity in our lives, that early ‘click’ into Type A or Type B mode is hugely comforting. A defence mechanism in the face of difficult decisions. When we read a headline, or hear about one country’s actions towards another, or see a Budget announcement, we’ve already got a pre-formed response ready and waiting. Lined up for us, without us having to do all the difficult business of working things through from scratch every time. That would take ages.

There's are nice little kickbacks from each position: Type As have the assurance that they'll always be doing the nice thing – helping and supporting; they get their reward in intangible ways. Type Bs are reassured by the fact that though some may suffer, overall, things are better for the great majority, and usually for the Type Bs at a tangible, personal level.

We don’t even have to use the labels ‘Left/Right/Socialist/Conservative’. We know what we believe, right down inside, at that seed level. Don’t we?

I don’t. Not really. Does that make me indecisive? Does that mean I never ‘clicked’ properly into my type? Does that mean I really enjoy jumping beyond the immediate ‘easy’ reaction and trying to think a little harder about what’s really going on?

I hope it’s the latter. It definitely helps me in my working life, in and around public policy. But I do feel a bit odd in an overtly political setting where having at least some certainty is de rigueur. And I’m crap at demonstrations. “But you do realise that X will lead to Y will lead to Z?” goes my whisper unheard amidst the chanting. (Truth be told, I’m a little bit jealous of those who do have – or at least can display – this certainty.)

So – my political confession. I don’t have a clear inner badge, of Conservative, Labour or Liberal. I’m all of them. I am a person.